The present invention relates to felt conditioners and felt cleaners. For example, the present invention relates to methods to treat a paper-making press felt that uses a felt conditioner or cleaner. Thus, the present invention provides a method of cleaning or conditioning a paper-making press felt used in a paper-making process.
Chemical cleaning of press felts used in a paper mill provide or maintain design characteristics of the felt and extend its operational life. Generally, chemical cleaning or conditioners fall into three (3) main groups: acid-based, alkaline-based, or organic-based. When organic-based felt conditioners are used, though highly favored, the solvent can have poor water solubility which can cause nozzle blockage and/or the solvent can have a strong smell with a high evaporation rate, which can be undesirable, and even viewed by some as a hazard to the environment.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry to provide a new solvent-based system that preferably has a low evaporation rate, that is essentially odorless, and is environmentally friendly. Further, a new solvent system that provides one or more of these characteristics should also provide comparable felt cleaning and conditioning properties and preferably be water soluble or at least have satisfactory water solubility.